making news in america this morning, the re-election. president barack obama wins four more years. >> i've never been more hopeful about our future. i have never been more hopeful about america. >> with a resounding electoral win and a narrow nod in the popular vote, the president lays out his first priority for his second term. >> tonight, you voted for action. not politics as usual. you elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. >> there were cheers in chicago and tears in boston. after the long, hard fight, it was all over for the challenger. >> like so many of you, paul and

i have left everything on the field. we have given our all to this campaign. >> now, after the bruising campaign and facing a congress as divided as it was before the election, president obama and the country prepare for the next four years. >> thank you, america. god bless you. god bless these united states. good wednesday morning, everybody. four years ago, barack obama stood on the brink of history, the morning after his election. now, four years later, he stands on the brink of a second term. >> the president has won re-election after a hard-fought campaign, saying he returns to the white house more determined and more inspired than ever. >> and he can claim a decisive and sweeping electoral victory over challenger, mitt romney. although, the popular vote is a

lot tighter. >> but in the end, almost all of the key battleground states, including ohio and virginia, they went the president's way. and that put him over the top. we have two reports to begin our coverage. >> tahman bradley is in boston. but first, t.j. winick is with the obama team in the windy city of chicago, where i assume the party may still be going on. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: rob and paula, good morning to you. that's right. it was actually a series of narrow state wins that gave president obama a decisive victory, despite an unemployment rate that posed a serious threat to his 2012 campaign. president barack obama won a second term tuesday, after a race that was primarily fought in just a handful of battleground states. >> you, the american people, reminded us that, while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up. we have fought our way back.

and we know in our hearts, that for the united states of america, the best is yet to come. >> reporter: florida is still too close to call. but even if romney won the state, obama still handily beats him in the electoral college vote. the popular vote will likely be closer. >> whether i earned your vote or not, i have listened to you. i have learned from you. and you've made me a better president. >> reporter: obama beat republican challenger mitt romney after nabbing almost every 1 of the 12 crucial battleground states. around 1:00 a.m. eastern, romney spoke to supporters in boston, to let them know he had made a concession call to the president. >> i have just called president obama to congratulate him on his victory. his supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. >> reporter: the former massachusetts governor said it was time to put aside partisan

bickering and work together for the country. >> this is a time of great challenges for america. and i pray that the president will be our nation. >> reporter: the newly-elected president spent the night here in chicago. he has no public events scheduled for today. he and the first family arrive back at the white house at 5:30 this afternoon. rob and paula? >> no one really expected or predicted a wide electoral victory for the president. what helped him seal the deal? >> reporter: the president really won big among african-americans, women and latinos. that's certainly what they were counting on. and in fact, he won among latinos in a greater margin than he did four years ago. and that raises serious questions about the future of the republican party and their greater, broad appeal. >> all right. t.j. winick there in chicago. thank you, t.j. get some sleep. now, let's get the view from boston. tahman bradley has been there all week. was the romney campaign really

prepared for this? >> reporter: no, i don't think so, paula. mitt romney told reporters yesterday that he only prepared a victory speech, which might explain why it took him so long to come out last night and to deliver his concession remarks. the romney campaign felt they had momentum over the final month, especially after that strong performance in the first debate. they felt they were hitting their target among the republican base voters. but it wasn't enough. >> and the monday morning quarterbacking begin, or the wednesday morning quarterbacking begin. what's the speculation from the pundits as to what exactly went wrong with romney's campaign? >> reporter: a lot of things went wrong. first of all, the obama campaign defined mitt romney before romney was able to define himself. they ran a number of hard-hitting ads, attacking at romney's strength. romney presenting himself as a successful business person who could fix the struggling economy. but the obama campaign tore into that. and romney never successfully responded. the other thing was the romney campaign was operating under the

assumption that the voting electorate would look like it's looked for the past 60 years. they were running against barack obama, which fundamentally changed the voting electorate in 2008. that did not garner enough support wrong young voters, blacks and latinos. just having white voters and white men was not enough. in the past, that could win the election. but not in 2012. >> mitt has gone on record saying if this didn't work out, he would hang his political cleats up, so to speak. so, what is next for the governor? >> reporter: in the concession remarks last night, he said he was praying for president obama's success and that he wanted the country to come together. i wonder if that's opening the door for romney to help the president in a formal way in his next administration. ann romney has health concerns. and she wants this to be the final campaign. perhaps romney will do something to help one of his son's businesses. or maybe he just wants to be

around his grandchildren. >> maybe the first order of business is a long nap. i think he's earned that, for sure. tahman bradley, live for us. >> reporter: we all need that. >> amen to that. thanks, tahman, live for us in boston this morning. a major challenge for the president will be the divided congress. the republicans have maintained control of the house. some races are still too close to call. >> speaker john boehner says that the election was a mandate to take steps together to boost the economy. >> and the democrats have taken two seats away from republicans in indiana and massachusetts. and winning a key race in virginia and maine. independent angus king won the seat held by olympia snowe. >> and the battle in massachusetts, elizabeth warren, beat incumbent republican scott brown. there will be a record number of women serving in the u.s. senate. >> go, girls. and missouri democrat, claire

mccaskill was able to keep her senate seat. todd akin badly damaged his campaign by his comments on pregnancy and rape. and michele bachmann, we'll keep an eye on it. her seat is in jeopardy, as well. >> and there's some backlash. we have all of the state-by-state results online. for a closer look at that, check out abcnews.com. and so, what is next now that president obama has pulled off such a decisive win? >> we're going to tell you. up next, the real story behind this election and what it could mean for the next four years. you're watching a special edition of "america this morning."

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and with your stories and your struggles, i return to the white house more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead. >> president obama, celebrating a decisive win this wednesday morning, with 303 electoral votes. he needed only 270. >> the president is holding a slim lead in the popular vote. i believe the counting is still going on down in florida a little bit. we'll get those numbers some time later this week. >> no surprise there. >> as always. plenty to talk about this morning. we spoke with our washington editor, rick klein. >> and we asked him if a new era of bipartisanship can now begin. >> the voters did not give president obama a mandate. but he can create that mandate. i think if he begins to govern if he's the promise of barack obama, back in 2008, back in 2004, at the democratic convention, if he brings that piece of america together, this

was a broad coalition that voted today. it's a divided country. but this is a new america that was speaking out, in a pretty loud voice, saying this is the leadership they wanted. and what they're craving is a leadership moment. and that's where the president has an opportunity. >> you did talk about that bipartisanship. the headline is about the president and how well he did and how it defied all expectations of pundits. no one expected the electoral gap to be as wide. >> he took advantage of this surge in younger voters and minority voters. he was able to bring home hispanics in record numbers. we saw double-digit hispanic turnout. and the tactics. the overwhelming white working-class voters. he deployed his resources to define the other guy before he had a chance to hit him. >> do you think the republican party has to look at themselves in the mirror and take a hard look?

you look at who the president got great support from. 38 points with single women, strong latino population, and like you said, the lowest voting from white males in presidential history. >> there's serious soul-searching going to happen in the republican party. and the problem for them is the path forward is even more pessimistic. none of the demographics they appealed to in this election is growing demographics. they tried to eke out one more using the old formula. >> rick klein tweeted. three-quarters of the exit polls, they blame bush more than they blamed obama. got that message across, as well. >> that explains a lot. this election was also about pressing social issues from gay marriage to legalizing marijuana. >> the historic decisions made by voters across the country, coming up next on "america this morning." ♪ [ male announcer ] we all like things how we like them, even medicare drug plans.

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♪ those girls are growing up before our eyes, aren't they? >> yes, they are. >> in his victory speech, president obama said we are more than red states and blue states. we are the united states. >> you see the states that the president won last night. in his speech, he thanked every american who voted and made their voice heard. >> the american people reminded us that, while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up. we have fought our way back. and we know in our hearts, that for the united states of america, the best is yet to come. by itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won't end all the gridlock or solve all our problems or

substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward. but that common bond is where we must begin. our economy is recovering. a decade of war is ending. a long campaign is now over. i believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that, if you're willing to work hard, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you lie. it doesn't matter if you're black or white or hispanic or asian or native american or young or old, or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in america. i believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics

suggest. we're not as cynical as the pundits believe. we are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions. and we were made more than a collection of red states and blue states. we are and forever will be the united states of america. and together, with your help and god's grace, we will continue our journey forward. >> whipping that crowd up. >> uh-huh. a gracious mitt romney addressing his supporters in boston, not so riled up there. >> a different mood. saying the nation is at a critical point. romney said he would pray for president obama's success. >> i have just called president obama to congratulate him on his victory. his supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. i wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady, and their daughters. this is a time of great challenges for america. and i pray that the president

will be successful in guiding our nation. the nation, as you know, is at a critical point. in a time like this, we can't risk partisan bickering. our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people's work. and we look at democrats and republicans at all levels to put the people before the politics. i believe in america. i believe in the people of america. >> americans also weighed in on two social issues. voters in colorado and washington state legalized recreational use of marijuana. adults will be allowed to possess small amounts of pot. but it will be taxed. >> that will set up a showdown with the federal government, which outlaws the drug. maryland and maine have become the first states to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote. we're awaiting results from washington. voters in minnesota said no to

banning gay marriage in their state constitution. and over in wisconsin, tammy baldwin has become the first openly-gay person to win a u.s. senate seat. >> you look at all of the combined things. it sets a new political stage for sure. >> precedent-setting, for sure. the northeast is bracing for another storm today. airlines already cancelling flights. coming up, where and when the storm will hit. plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer up to 9 months. [ male announcer ] because enbrel®, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred.

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jubilation outside 1600 pennsylvania avenue. cheering supporters of president obama gathered outside the white house to celebrate his re-election, while 700 miles away, the president was

delivering his victory speech in chicago. many voters in the storm zone were undeterred even though many don't have homes or power, following hurricane sandy. >> many had to cast their ballots in tents and other makeshift polling sites, taking shuttle buses and enduring very long lines. displaced new jersey residents were allowed to vote by e-mail or fax. but the electronic options overwhelmed the county clerks there. >> a lot of them said voting was the only thing they had left. and now those recovering from hurricane sandy is about to face a new threat. a nor'easter packing heavy winds, rain and snow. >> jim dickey is tracking the storm right now and has the latest. jim? >> good morning rob and paula. here's our budding storm system this morning. brought some rainfall to coastal north carolina. through tuesday evening, it will strengthen and move northward. what can we expect? the system moving faster than first anticipated. through the morning hours, see some rain and strong, gusty winds.

winds out of the northwest and northeast. hence the term nor'easter here. going to be significant coastal flooding and significant beach erosions. it's impacting the same areas impacted by sandy. this is not sandy. not going to bring the same impact. but impactful all the time. places like philadelphia, will see light accumulations of snow. rob and paula, back to you. >> thanks, jim. and now, to a truly dedicated voter. a first-time mom-to-be in chicago began feeling labor pains. but instead of rushing to the hospital, 21-year-old alecia maloney grabbed her bag and ran to her polling place. >> it was her first chance to vote in a presidential election, and she wasn't going to miss it. her contractions were five minutes apart. inside the voting booth, she kept telling herself, read and breathe. she wanted to set an example for her new daughter. and sometimes going to the polling stations can be as painful as birth. >> her commitment.

for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll come back with the obama celebration. and one of the most cited economists in the world. professor sargent, can you tell me what cd rates will be in two years? no. if he can't, no one can. that's why ally has a raise your rate cd. ally bank. your money needs an ally. a deep, throbbing, persistent ache. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain.

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and we welcome you back to "america this morning." president obama and his family are heading back to the white house today, following the president's decisive re-election. in his victory speech, mr. obama sounding some bipartisan tones. even saying he wants to meet with mitt romney. >> here in new york, times square filled with cheering obama supporters. the president fared especially well among hispanic voters and single women. and also enjoys the broadest support among democrats since jimmy carter in 1976. >> a gracious mitt romney telling supporters even though the principles they fought for will endure. romney called for unity and insists the nation cannot endure more partisan bickering. >> we'll see if they do it. we'll see what happens when the new congress takes office in

january. the big headline of the morning. i'll give you a taste of what the newspapers are showing this morning. this is the cover of "the new york times." it simply says, obama's night, right there at the top of the page. a smiling mr. obama yesterday in one of the campaign offices near his home in chicago. >> on the left coast, "the l.a. times" says obama again. the swing states stealing the election again. nice thumbs-up from the president. >> and this here from "the washington post," a simple headline, which simply says, obama wins. so, you see it right there. they did a bunch of local interviews and asked him, were you really emotional? and/or was it just cold? it was a mix of emotion and cold wind in his face a little bit. >> and leave it to "the new york post" for this one. barack for more.

back for more, get it? >> they did not endorse him. that was interesting. that's the front page of "the post" this morning. it will be the talk of the country for the next few days as america settles in and gets past an eternal and divisive campaign. hopefully all of that chatter about bipartisanship materializes. we move forward and move on and hope we make progress as a country. >> how many millions did we spend on retaining the status quo? >> hopefully there's a new flavor in d.c. but $6 billion in agate in two years of placampaigning. >> it's an exercise in democracy. it's over for another four years. that's what's making news in america this wednesday morning. we leave you with some of the historic images from this election.